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G. T;-- HARDEN. & E. S. GRANT NAILELATE FEEDER- V Pateni ed Aug. 28,1888.

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Zimkf (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

' .GpT. HABDEN 82; E. S. GRANT.

NAIL PLATE FEEDER.

No. 388,673. P ente d A8928, 1888.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. 8

G. T. HARDEN 85 E. S. GRANT. NAIL PLATE FEEDER.

N0. 388,673. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

N. PEIERS. Pmno-Lnhn m h". Waslli NITED STAT S PATENT OFFI GEORGE T.HARDEN AND EDMUND S. GRANT, OF MIDDLEPORT, OHIO; SAID HARDEN ASSIGNOR TOJAMES S. BOGGESS, OF SAME PLACE.

NAIL-PLATE FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,673, dated August28, 1888.

Application filed March 5, 1887. Serial No.229.772. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that we, GEORGE T. HARDEN and EDMUND S. GRANT, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Middleport, in the county of Meigs andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNail- ]?late Feeders; and we do hereby declare the following tobe afnll,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to attachments to nailcutting machines forautomatically feeding the plates from which the nails are out, whichattaobments consist of organized mechanisms known in the art as nailplate feeders, and are designed to be attached toany of the ordinarynail-cutting machines.

The objects of the invention are to simplify the construction, to securegreater ease of adjustment, greater uniformity of feed, and greaterdurability; and to these ends it consists in certain details ofconstruction and in novel arrangements and combinations of parts, aswill be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to, and whichform a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevationof a nailcutting machine with our improved feeder attached thereto. Fig.2 represents a front elevation of the feeder; Fig. 3, a longitudinalsection of the oscillating barrel and its spring-jaws; Fig. 4, detailviews of the connection between the rock-shaft'and the barrel stocksupport; Fig. 5, a detail sectional view of the connection between therock-shaft and the driving-wheel; Fig. 6, a perspective elevation of thefeeding-fork; Fig. 7, a side elevation, Fig. 8 a front elevation, andFig. 9 a plan view, of the same; FigSulO and 11, perspective views ofthe main parts of the feedingfork detached and separated.

A represents the frame of a nail cutting machine supported by standardsor supports a. A is the bed of the machine; a, the stationary knife,which is fixed on the bed of the machine, and a the movable knife, thelatter being mounted in standards a which rise from the sides of thebed. a is the main shaft of the machine; a the drive-pulley on the mainshaft through which power is applied to the machine; a,a crank-disk onthe main shaft from which the headinglever is operated through a pitman,a which connects the crank disk with the lever a a is the flywheel onthe main shaft. This machine is of the usual construction, and is wellknown. It involves no part of our invention, which, as above stated,relates to the feeding attachment, and need not, therefore, be minutelydescribed.

I) b designate two right-angled brackets, preferably made of squarewrought-iron, the vertical arms of which are hook-shaped, as representedin Fig. 2, to hook over clampingscrews b b, by which they are attachedto the bed of the machine, at the front end thereof, as represented inFig. 1. By makingthese brackets of wrought-iron they may be altered andbent to any angle to adapt them to any machine. The books are ofsufficient length to permit the necessary vertical adjustment. Thehorizontal arms of the brackets receive sliding bearing-blocks b,whichsupport a transverse rod, 1)", upon which is mounted a saddle, B,which in turn supports the barrelstock and its barrel, the front end ofthe oscillating shaft 0, which operates the barrel, and the connectionsbetween the barrel and shaft through which motion is imparted to thebarrel.

The saddle B consists of two bent arms, I) b, connected by a transversebar, If. The arms are perforated at their lower ends to receive the rodb and the upper and forward ends carry center screws, 1) b, whichsupport between them a short shaft, b which passes through the foot ofthe barrel-stock B and supports the same.

The barrel B is supported and oscillates in a bearing at the upper endof its stock 13, oscillatory motion being imparted thereto by a rack, b,which engages a circumferential gear, 0, on the barrel, and whichreciprocates in a guideway formed transversely through the lower part ofsaid bearing, in the usual manner. The rack b is reciprocated byavibrating arm, I)", on the end of the oscillating shaft 0, the upper endof said arm being bent backward, so as to stand substantially paral- 10olel With the shaft and working in a depending fork, 6 which is bolted toor formed on the end of the rack. The end of the arm 1) carries arolling sleeve, 12, which forms an antifriction bearing between theparts to prevent wear.

The oscillating shaft 0 is located beneath the bed of the nail-machine,and is supported at its rear end by an adjustable hanger, c, which isbolted to the bed of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. Atitsrear end itis provided with an adjustable arm, 0 which is adapted to be adjustedboth angularly and longitudinally, being formed for this purpose with aclamp-socket which receives the shaft, and by which it is clamped to thelatter. This socket is formed of two jaws, as represented in Fig. 5,which are drawn together by a screw, 0, to tightly clamp the shaft.

On the arm 0" is a sleeve, 0*, which is engaged by center screws, (1 d,in the arms of a fork, d, which is connected with or formed on the endof a pitman, D, that connects the arm 0 with a crank, E on the shaft Eof the drive wheel E. The sleeve 0 is adapted to be moved in or out onthe arm 0 in order to regulate the oscillation of the shaft 0 withoutchanging the stroke ofthe pitman, such movement being permitted by thecenter screws, 01 d.

The upper end of pitman D is connected by a ball-and-sockctjoint withthe pin eo'fa crank, E, which is on the shaft E of wheel E. The wheel Emeshes with and is driven by a gear wheel (not shown) on the main shaftof the nail-machine.

' The shaft of the wheelE runs in horizontallyadjustable boxes f, onverticallyadjustable brackets F, which are bolted to the rear end of themachine, as shown in Fig. 1, the adjustability ofthe brackets and boxesbeing provided for by slots through which the fastening-bolts pass. Theball-and-socket connection between the crank-pin e and the pitman Dpermits the lower end of the latter to be moved in or out with thesleeve c,while the sleeve permits the vibration of the pitman and at thesame time forms a smoothly-working connection between the parts. Thecrank-pin e is preferably made radially adj nstable in the crank inorder that the stroke of the pitman may, if desired, be changed.

Behind the crank -disk at is an eccentric, (shown in dotted lines inFig. 1,) to the yoke of which is connected the rear end of a horizontalconnecting-rod, I), the forward end of which is connected with the topof the barrelstock by a ball-and socket connection, as follows: At thetop of the barrel-stock and projecting above the barrel-support is avertical slotted arm, I), in the slot of which is secured a pin, b",which has a spherical head at its outer end,and with which is connecteda couplingblock, B". This block has an opening through it, asrepresented in Fig. l, in one side of which opening is formed a seat orhearing for the spherical head, and in the opposite side is located amovable block or box, I), formed with a similar seat or bearing, thesaid block being adapted to be set up against the spherical head by aset-screw, b to form a closefitting ball-and-socket joint.

To the top of the block B is adj ustably connected a coupling-block, Bwhich is formed with a slot, (represented by dotted lines,) throughwhich passes a clamping'screw, b, which screws into the block B andclamps the two parts together. The block B is formed with a socket thatreceives the end of the coupling-rod b, which is secured therein by asetscrew, b". The connecting-rod b subserves the usual purpose ofvibrating the barrelstock and barrel to clear the latter from themachine. so that it may oscillate in its bearing. By the adjustabilityof the block B on the block B an easy adjustment of the feeder isprovided for, while the separable connection between the red I) and theblock B permits the parts to be readily disconnected when for any reasonit is desired to turn the barrel away from the machine.

As above stated, the forward end of the oscillating shaft 0 is supportedby the saddle B, and the construction of this bearing will now bedescribed.

The transverse shaft N, which supports the barrel-stock, is formed withan integral enlargement, 1, which has an opening through it for thereception of the shaft 0, and at right angles to said opening is formeda socket of somewhat greater diameter than the opening for the shaft,which socket receives a tightlyfitting cylindrical block, 2, with atransverse opening, 3, which, when the block is in position in itssocket, registers with the opening through the enlargement 1 and formsthe real bearing for the shaft, which snugly fits the same. It issometimes necessary or desirable to adjust the rear end of the shaft 0laterally,

and in order to provide for such adjustment we elongate the openingthrough the enlargement 1 in a direction parallel with the shaft 1), asindicated in Fig. 4. Then, in making such adj ustment, the cylindricalblock 2 will turn in its socket and adjust itself to the change ofdirection of the shaft.

The shaft N, with its socketed and perforated enlargement 1 and thecylindrical block 2, are preferably cast, the latter in chill-molds; butthey may be made of wrought metal and hardened in the usual way.

To provide for the vertical adjustment of the barrel-stock and barrel,we form a lug, 4, (shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines inFig. 2,) on one of the arms I) of the saddle B, which lug rests on theend of an adj ustingscrew, 5,that works vertically through thehorizontal arm of one of the brackets b. The weight of the saddle and ofthe feeding mechanism carried thereby thus rests upon the screw 4, andby turning the latter up or down the saddle is adjusted to raise orlower the barrel-stock and barrel.

The vibrating arm I)", that operates the rack If, is adjustably attachedto the shaft 0 by a clamp, which is formed'by bending the end of the armto form a socket for the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2. Then, by means of aclamping-screw or bolt, 6, the clamp is tightened to secure the arm inadjusted position on the shaft. The arm I) on one side of the shaft band a collar, 7, on the opposite side, prevent longitudinal movement ofthe shaft 0.

The barrel-stock B has a short forwardlyprojecting arm, 7, to which isbolted a bar, 8, that supports the feeding-fork, which we will nowdescribe.

The fork is composed of two'principal parts, 9 10, which carry at theirupper ends grasping-jaws 19 20, and have angular horizontal arms,marked, respectively, 11 11 and 12 12. The arms 12 12 of the part 10carry center screws, 13 14, and receive between them the arms 11 11 ofthe part 9, which receive in suitable sockets the points of the screws13 14, by which the two parts are connected together. This forms ahingeconnection, which permits a movement of the two parts relatively toeach other, which movement is limited in one direction by astop-lug, 16,on the part 10,which abuts against a shoulder, 17, on the lower arm ofthe part 9, and in the opposite direction by a shoulder, 18, on theupper arm of the part 9, which forms a stop for the forward end of theupper arm, 12.

The part 9 is secured in the forked end of the bar 8 by center screws,1515, the points of which enter sockets 15, whereby a hinge-joint isformed, which permits the backward and forward vibration of the parts 910.

A block, 29, which is bolted to the arm 8 back of the fork,supports arod or bar, 30, in the forward end of which is mounted a fork, 31, whichis vertically adjustable, and is secured by a set-screw, 32. the forwardend of the nipper-rod, as will be hereinafter explained. It has abackwardprojecting horizontal arm, 33, which forms a stop to limit theforward vibration of the parts 9 10. A screw-connection between theblock 29 and rod 30 permits a forward and backward adjustment of thefork 31 and its stop-arm 33 to regulate the vibration of the parts 9 10.

At'the top of the part 9 is a springpressed jaw, 19, and on the outerend of the angular upper arm 12 of the part 10 is an adjustable arm 12of the part 10, and is secured thereto.

by a screwbolt, 26, which passes through a slot, 27, whereby adjustmentof the jaw is per mitted. A screw, 28, passing through a lug This forksupports a or standard on the outer end of the arm 12,

sets against the jaw and assists in holding it in its adjusted position.

Below the bar 8, and substantially parallel therewith, is a push-bar,34, which passes through a slot or opening, 35, in the barrelstock. Theforward end of this push-bar is seated against the end of the lower arm12 of bar abuts against the front end of the nailmachine, as representedin Fig. 1, and the bar is of such length and so adjusted that when thebarrel-stock and its connected parts are drawn toward the machine by theoperation of the eccentricon the main shaft it will move with said partsuntil it is arrested by striking against the machine. This occurs justbefore the action of the eccentric is finished, and as the parts movestill farther the rod will push against the end of the angular arm 12and cause the part 10 during such continued movement to turn on itshinged connections with the part 9, turning its jaw 20 toward the jaw19, thereby causing the nipper-rod21 to be. grasped by said jaws, andnow, as the movement of the parts toward the machine still continues,the two parts 9 10 will be vibrated on the screws 15, causing thenipperrod 21, which is grasped by thejaws '19 20, to-

After the nail has been ICC out from the plate a reverse movementbegins,

by which the feeder is carried away from the machine, the first effectof which is to allow the jaws 19 20 to open and release the nipperrod21, the opening of thejaws being effected by the action of the spring 36as soon as the parts have moved far enough to relieve them from thepressure of the push bar 34. The continued movement of the parts afterthe jaws have opened to the limit permitted by Y the stops 16 17 permitsthe parts 9 10 to vibrate on the screws 15 15, and for the purpose ofefieeting this vibration a spring, 39, is employed, one end of which isconnected with a pin, 40, that projects from the bar 8, and the theother end with a pin, 41, that projects 1 section. It is mounted in abearing in the top of the barrel-stock, and has a circumferential gear,0, with which the reciprocating rack b engages to impart oscillatorymotion; as usual.

p10 designate holding-bars mounted on opposite sides of the taperingnose, (two on each side,) between which the nail-plate is fed toward theknives. These bars are clamped to holding-plates q q by screws 0" andcross-bars s, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the plates are providedalong their edges with fiangcst t, which overlap and hold the bars inproperposition. The plates and bars are secured to the barrel byspherical-headed screws 11, a, and the barrel is cut away in front ofsaid screws to allow the plates and bars to turn slightly, as indicatedin dotted lines. Under the forward ends of the plates, between the barsp p, are springs 11 c, which hold the points of the bars together, andwhich yield to allow the points to spread apart when a nail-plate isinserted between them. These bars are not intended to possess elasticityor flexibility in themselves, as usual heretofore, but are intended tohave a pivotal action on the screws to and tobe held to their work byindependent spring pressure, as will be well understood from thedrawings.

In order to afford the greatest facility for the introduction of thenail-plate into the barrel, a guard, w, is formed at the top of thebarrel-stock on the side opposite that on which the attendant stands,which guard partially surrounds the open end of the barrel and serves toguide the nail-plate into the same. This we regard as an importantfeature, because it avoids the liability of the plate being run into thegearing of the machine by acareless attendant.

:0 indicates a hinged guard that covers the guideway in which the rackZ) reciprocates. At the limit of the movement of the rack toward thisside of the machine its end projects beyond the barrel, and in theabsence of a guard or protection of some kind scraps, nails. or othersubstances are liable to be dropped thereon and carried into thegearing,to the injury or destruction oftbis part of the machine.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new- 1. In a nail-platefeeder, the combination, with the adjustable rock-shaft O, of atransverse bar adj ustably connected with the front end of thenail-machine, in connection with which the feeder is used, and a bearingfor the front end ofsaid shaft supported by said transverse bar andcapable of adjusting itself to the angular direction of the shaft whenthe latter is adjusted, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the brackets by whichthe feeder is connected with the nail-machine and with the rock-shaft ofthe feeder, of a transverse bar or shaft, b supported on said bracketsby intermediate connections, and a bearing for the rock-shaft supportedby said bar or shaft 1) and capable of adjusting itself to a change inthe angular direction of the rock-shaft, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the brackets 12 b, thesaddle B, and intermediate connections, of the transverse shaft b,pivotally mounted in the saddle, and the rockshaft 0, passing throughsaid shaft 1) and having a bearing therein, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the brackets 11 b, thesaddle carried thereby through intermediate connections, of thetransverse shaft 1), pivotally mounted in said saddle, and the barrelstock mounted on said transverse shaft and capable of vibrating orswinging thereon, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a nail plate feeder, the combination of the angular brackets b I),the bearing-blocks I), adjustably mounted on the horizontal arms of saidbrackets, the transverse rod b carried by said bearingblocks, the saddleB, mounted on the rod 1) and capable of swing thereon, the transverseshaft 1), pivotally mounted between the horizontal arms of the saddle,and the barrel stock mounted on said shaft and capable of swingingthereon, substantially as shown and described.

6. The angular bracket 1), formed ofa wroughtiron bar and having theupper end of its vertical arm bent into hook shape and adapted to beattached to the bed of a nail cutting machine by a bolt passing throughits hooked end, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the barrel and itsstock, of a reciprocating rack working through the barrel-stock toimpart oscillatory motion to the barrel, and a hinged guard arranged tocover the guideway of the rack and to protect the latter, substantiallyas shown and described.

8. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the rock-shaft O, andwith the reciprocating rack that oscillates the barrel, of the vibratingarm formed with a clamp-socket at its lower end for the reception ofsaid shaft, the said socket being formed by bending the end of the armaround upon itself, whereby it is adapted to be adjustably clamped uponthe shaft by a screw or bolt passing through the arm and through thebent end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the wheel E, its shaftE and crank E, and with the rock-shaft O, of the arms 0 adjustablyclamped upon the said shaft, the collar c on said arm and capable ofoscillating thereon, and the pit-man D, connecting said collar with thecrank E substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the rock-shaft O andits arm 0 of the collar 0 on said arm, the forked pitman D d, connectedwith said collar by pointed screws (1 d, passing through the arms of itsfork, and the crank E on the shaft of wheel E, with which the pitman isconnected at its opposite end, substantially as shown and described.

11. The feeding-fork for nail-plate feeders herein shown and described,consisting of two main parts,910, each having horizontal arms by whichthey are pivoted or hinged together, and graspingjaws at their upperends, in combination with an arm projecting from the barrelstock, towhich arm one of said parts is hinged to swing or vibrate forward andback ward, substantially as shown and described.

12. The feeding-fork herein shown and described, consisting of the twoparts 9 10, each having horizontal arms by which they are pivoted orhinged together,and grasping-jaws at their upper ends, one of said jawsbeing spring-seated, substantially as shown and described.

13. The combinion, in a nail-plate feeder, of the bar 8,projecting fromthe barrel-st0ck,the part 9 of the feeding-fork hinged to said arm toswing forward and backward, the part 10 hinged to the part 9 to swingtoward and from the same, the said parts 9 10 being provided with jawsto grasp the nipper-rod, a spring to throw the connected parts 9 10forward, and a push-bar, 34, between the nailmachine and a horizontalarm that projects below the connection between the arm 8 and the part 9,

whereby, when the barrel-stock moves toward the machine, the jaws willfirst be closed to grasp the nipper-rod and then moved toward themachine, substantially as shown and de-l scribed. y

14. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of two grasping-jaws hingedtogether and adapted to open and close by a swinging movement in ahorizontal plane and capable of vibrating in a vertical plane, and apush-rod operating upon the arm of one jaw, for imparting motion to saidjawsin both directions, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

15. The combination, with the barrel of a nail-plate feeder, of theholding-bars p p and the plates q q, to which they are attached, thesaid plates being pivotally connected to the barrel by screws 11. u,substantially as shown and described.

16. The combination, with the barrel of a nail-plate feeder, of theholding-barspp and the plates q q, to which they are secured, the saidplates being pivotally connected to the barrel by spherical-headedscrews u u, and springs 12 v,to press the points of said holdingbarstogether, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

it-messes:

, JOHN A.-RED1\I0ND, L. W. RICHARDS.

